Opinion: On the clock, off the grid—the hidden health crisis of India’s gig workers

On July 3, the Karnataka High Court declined to stay a law that promises the State’s app-based workers something no employer ever has: a welfare fund. Yet, in the same order, the court directed platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit and Zepto to deposit the.

While platforms and States argue over the paise per ride that needs to be collected, the workers whom the law is supposed to protect continue riding through city traffic across the country. Millions of workers leave their homes every day to work as platform.

What Happened

Some skip meals to save time, while others fill up on the same ultra-processed food they spend all day delivering to customers. Skipping lunch to complete one more order is a nutritional deficiency in the making.

• According to NITI Aayog, there were 7.7 million gig workers in 2020-21.

• This number is projected to increase to 23.5 million by 2029-30, and 6.16 crore by 2047 (VV Giri National Labour Institute).

• Still, India’s labour statistics (the latest being PLFS 2025-26) fail to capture these workers as a distinct category, leaving a growing segment of the workforce statistically invisible even as it becomes economically indispensable.

Key Details

The same worker can be underweight and micronutrient-deficient one year, and overweight with early signs of hypertension the next. This makes malnutrition a double-edged sword as it inflicts contradictory health consequences.

• A 2024 survey of gig workers by the non-profit Janpahal found that a large majority worked more than eight hours a day, often stretching across mealtimes with no fixed break.

• A separate survey of over 5,000 gig workers found that 99% of the respondents cited health or mental health concerns linked to the job.

• Although the Code on Social Security, 2025, came into force in November 2025, it has not yet become operational because no central scheme has been notified for them.

Why It Matters

According to the World Health Organisation, malnutrition is broadly defined as deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in energy and nutrient intake, encompassing overweight and obesity as well as hunger. The link between gig workers and malnutrition lies in how these platforms pay and.

• Feeding the people who feed the rest of us should not be this hard.

• A workforce that will soon number in the tens of millions cannot be left to solve its nutritional needs on the margins of a punishing schedule.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Telangana Today as more details emerge